A lovely evening, a bit of respite from the torrential rains in Colombo, and the buzz at the Barefoot Gallery, with Beverley Pinder’s charm making the book launch a lively event. Beverley wears her experiences with pride, and that’s what stands out. Beverley Pinder’s, Pride Without Prejudice, is the retelling of her life in Ceylon, and subsequently Australia, sharing her setbacks and successes, with an aim to inspire people to keep moving forward, and lighting the path for others who may be in need.
In Beverley’s own words, “Life is a good dose of what you are looking for. Never stop short of trying to attain that which you know is achievable. And then keep going- exploring your next steps and getting into the road that allows you to realise your fullest potential.
” Beverley Pinder, OAM (Medal of Order of Australia) was born to Dutch-Burgher parents in Ceylon in 1955. Seeing Australia as a land of opportunities, her family moved to Australia when she was thirteen. Her experiences in Ceylon have stayed with her, always grounding her to what her roots and reality were, imbibing in her, empathy and kindness.
Australia, as she says, is her home, a place she made her own. It takes courage to share your story with the world, and I respect writers who do so. Our stories are similar, we have all had our fair share of challenges.
It’s through stories of resilience and grit that we inspire people. ‘Communitarianism’, an ideology which has guided Beverley Pinder as she.
